The Toymaker's Daughter
by Metallic Shadows
Summary: Castiel's a single father, working alongside his brother in their toy store, Pandora's Box. Dean's looking for a present for his niece but might get more than he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

Pandora's box. A toy store which resided in the centre of Lawrence, Kansas. Famous for its owners, brothers. Gabriel and Castiel. Brothers of true, honest craftsmanship. In their toy store, they did not sell toys made and shipped from China. They made everything themselves. Through hard work and patience, together they had built up their business together in memory of Castiel's wife, Valerie.

At the age of 21, Castiel had married his childhood sweetheart. They'd lived in a comfortable, one bedroom apartment on the outskirts of the city. Valerie worked as a hairdresser in town whilst Castiel still worked his way through university, learning about design and technology.

It was only once Castiel graduated did they decide to start a family and move into a bigger house in the middle of Lawrence. Valerie got another job to help pay for things and Castiel took on more hours at the factory. By 25, Castiel had a beautiful wife. A place to call home and a newborn fast asleep in his arms. Things were finally falling into place after years of hard work.

Three years later, at the age of 28. Castiel lost everything. His wife died giving birth to their second child. Neither survived. A complication with the surgery they'd said. With a toddler to look after, Castiel could no longer afford to spend time away at work. He could not afford to pay the mortgage on their house and was forced to move out. Leaving him to the streets if it weren't for his brother who took them both in.

At 30, Castiel still lived with Gabriel but the arrangement had altered to be more comfortable for everyone. They'd turned the attic into another bedroom where Castiel could work at night, making toys for their store. For now, Castiel's daughter, Freya, lived in Gabriel's room. Gabriel spent most of his time working anyway or slept at Kali's but Castiel still felt embarrassed for asking so much of his older brother.

The idea of Pandora's box had been Valerie's. She had always been fond of Castiel's creations. Over the years he'd made furniture and trinkets as gifts to her. He even made her her wedding ring. When they first met, Castiel had made them both bracelets, signifying their friendship. Valerie lost her's ten years later on their honeymoon. Castiel still kept his in a small wooden box next to his bed. Along with a picture of his beloved wife and child.

For years Valerie had told Castiel to follow his passion and start a business. A job he actually cared about. Castiel had ignored the idea, putting his family first and earning as much money as he could. After Valerie's death, he didn't have much left. He had Freya but she was still too young to understand the loss she had suffered. He felt lost without Valerie but over time and with Gabriel's help, they'd started the business, giving Castiel something to focus on and to help him move on.

During the summer both Gabriel and Castiel worked hard in the store. Freya was to attend kindergarten in September but for now she was stuck inside with her father and uncle. Castiel wanted her to be outside having fun with other children but he couldn't afford to take time off work or pay for a babysitter to care for her. Thankfully, working in a toy store did have some benefits.

Freya sat happily on the floor, playing with one of Gabriel's new prototype dolls whilst her father glued pieces of a wooden castle together out the back. Gabriel worked the tills mainly. He wasn't as gifted as Castiel was when it came to making things. He did however, have an imaginative eye. He'd sketch out ideas for Castiel and his brother would make them. Together they worked well, using Freya as their target market. To test out their creations before selling them in the store.

What drew customers in most was their family-friendly atmosphere. They weren't looking to exploit people of their money. They wanted to make good quality toys for children to enjoy. In particular, they made toys designed for the individual. Whether it was a design from scratch that a child had requested or just a parent wanting a loving message scribed into the base of the toy. It didn't matter, as long as each toy was different and personally made for the customer.

The bell chimed lightly as the door opened, the smell of oil and cheap cologne suddenly filled the room as a man in heavy duty boots walked into the store. Gabriel was currently working on a piece for a kid's birthday next week. He was designing a wooden sword and shield based on the drawing the kid's mom had come in with a few days prior.

The man stood by the till patiently, hands behind his back. His face smeared with grease from working all morning at the garage, making the whites of his eyes pop and his stubble almost undetectable. His clothes in the same condition, dirty and rugged at the edges. The oil on his shirt patterned in streaks from where the man had wiped his hands on the material on numerous occasions. He cleared his throat slightly, in the hopes to gain the man's attention but Gabriel was still deep in thought, sketching intricate details into his sketchbook.

"Gabby," Freya called from the floor, when Gabriel still did not look up to greet the man. The man jumped slightly, having not noticed the girl. She was playing with dolls on the floor in denim dungarees and a white sleeved top. Her long brown hair hung in loose curls across her shoulders, shielding her face when she looked down at the ground.

"Welcome to Pandora's Box. My name's Gabriel. Or Gabby to some," Gabriel finally said, now aware of his surroundings. He gave Freya a side glance, scolding her lightly for the nickname but she only giggled in response before going back to her toys. He set down his pencil and pushed the sketchbook to the side and out of the way so he could lean his elbows against the counter and smile warmly at the man in front of him. "How can I help ya?"

"Hi, my name's Dean," the man greeted out of habit. "I, uh..I'm looking for a birthday present for my niece," Dean explained simply, looking around at all the toys and felt a little lost. "She's um..'bout so high," he said awkwardly, gesturing with his hand her height. "Six..maybe seven years old. I don't see her much but I think she likes ponies..or butterflies or somethin'. Think you could help me out?"

Gabriel tried not to laugh. They did get their fair share of clueless parents. It was nice to see them try but at times Gabriel just felt sorry for them. "I'm sure we can, Dean," he said with his usual happy-go-lucky attitude. "Well, we've got music boxes, bracelets, kites, dollhouses, figurines, toy boxes.. basically anything and everything. We'll make it for ya."

Dean frowned, "Wait..you make this stuff? Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy it from somewhere else?"

Gabriel grinned, leaning further against the counter. "Well that's just cheating," he quipped teasingly. "Besides, we don't just make standard toys here. We make toys specifically to the customers request."

Dean nodded in understanding, looking around a little. "So..if I wanted like a music box like this," he said pointing to the one on display. "But..with my niece's name on or with unicorns on it or something you'll just.."

"Make it to your design," Gabriel confirmed with a nod, smiling happily. Freya squirmed a little, getting Gabriel's attention. She was sprawled out across the floor like a starfish with the doll thrown carelessly on the floor beside her.

"What's wrong, hon? You don't like the doll?" Gabriel asked, making mental notes to test out the prototype further.

"Want daddy," she pouted, crossing her arms over her face and let out a small frustrated huff.

"He's working, hon, you know that," Gabriel said with a soft sigh. He did feel for the kid sometimes. She hadn't exactly gotten the best start in life. Burying her mom and watching her dad spiral into the darkness for almost the good part of a year. She needed friends her age. She needed to get out of this store. Just a few more months he kept telling himself. Then she'll be at kindergarten and things won't be as bad.

"Daddy," she whined, rolling about on the floor in protest. She bumped into Dean's leg, making him stiffen a little. He wasn't good with kids. He could barely deal with Sam's daughter and they were related. He looked at Gabriel for help but the man seemed set on staying where he stood. Thankfully, someone else came to his rescue, picking the small child up and stepped away.

"Hey baby, don't bother the nice man," Castiel said in a soothing tone that made Dean look twice. The man had patches of blue paint across his rough stubbled jaw, wood dust stuck to the tips of his eyelashes and wedged beneath his fingertips. A worker if Dean had ever seen one but his voice was soft and gentle. Not exactly what he'd expected to hear from the man at all. Compared to Gabriel he sounded timid, his gestures only confident when addressing the child.

"Daddy, I'm bored," Freya complained, gripping hold of Castiel's shirt so she wouldn't fall even though Castiel held her securely in his arms. Freya carefully rubbed the dust away from her father's eyes, making the man blink repeatedly to wash away the specks that got into his eyes. He smiled thankfully and praised her, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"I know, baby. I know," he murmured sadly. His heart ached. No matter how many toys he made her. No matter how hard he tried to fix things for her. She would never be happy without having someone her own age to play with. There was nothing he could do for her. It was times like this he wished Valerie was still around. She'd know what to do. "I'm doing the best I can. As soon as I finish glueing the castle together we'll go out to the park for some ice-cream, okay?"

Freya didn't seem happy. She was fed up of waiting. She'd been waiting all morning to go out and enjoy the sunshine but her father seemed tired. She didn't want him to be mad at her for whining anymore. So she just nodded and nuzzled at his neck, hugging him tight. "Go for ice-cweam," she parroted grumpily.

Castiel smiled softly, pressing another kiss into her hair. "Okay, baby, we will," he promised, setting her back down next to her toys. He looked over at Gabriel and the other man and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. She always gets a little restless around lunchtime."

Dean just nodded. He didn't know or particularly like children so never really knew what to say when people talking about them. "That's okay. I..uh..was just asking 'bout a gift. For my niece," Dean said sheepishly.

"She's about seven and likes butterflies and ponies," Gabriel chimed in casually, trying to help the poor guy out. Dean nodded in confirmation, although Jenny had been a few years younger when she'd told him this. It could have all changed since then.

Castiel nodded and looked at Gabriel curiously, before looking back at Dean. "We could make her a music box?" he suggested. "An inscription in the casing can make for a simple yet personal gift."

"Yeah. Yeah that sounds good. Um..I didn't realize you could get things personalised here. You think I could come back tomorrow when I've got more time on my hands. I really need to be heading back to the shop," Dean said lamely. He'd phone Sam tonight and find out what she wanted. Maybe just buy her Wii or something. That seemed more interesting. Something she'd actually use.

"Sure," Castiel said with a nod. "We're open nine to five, six days a week. Pop by when you can."

"I will. Thanks," Dean said before swiftly leaving the store. Castiel sighed, staring into the empty spot Dean had just stood in before Gabriel snapped his fingers, getting his attention.

"Seriously?" Gabriel asked, eyebrow raised slightly.

Castiel's eyes wondered around the store, trying to grasp what Gabriel was talking about. "What?"

"You know what," Gabriel countered with a sly look.

"I'm allowed to look," Castiel protested lightly, blushing a little in embarrassment.

"You're allowed to date 'em too," Gabriel added. "When was the last time you even tried talking to someone outside of this store?" Before Castiel could answer, Gabriel did it for him. "Almost two years, kiddo. I'm worried about you. Kali too. You need someone, Cas. You're still young. You can't keep punishing yourself like this. It wasn't your fault."

Castiel stiffened. "It was just a look," he muttered, walking over to Freya and picked her up. "Come on, Freya. Let's go get some ice cream," he decided, the castle could wait. He didn't feel like staying indoors with Gabriel eyeing him like that.

"Ice cweam!" Freya cheered happily, waving goodbye to Gabriel. Castiel took his daughter to the park, ignoring the tears that welled in his eyes and concentrated on the one thing good in his life. His Freya.

* * *

Ive never written kids in fics before so it probably sucks xxx


	2. Chapter 2

"Penelope's Box," Dean said to his brother, Sam, on the phone whilst juggling a bag of groceries in his free hand. "Some toy store in town," he shrugged, setting the bag down on his kitchen counter. "Anyways, thought I could get Jenny somethin' from there but I had a look around and couldn't see anything. So I'm just callin' to ask what I should get her. I don't mind shelling out for an xbox or something. Whatever you think is right, man."

"Wait, Penelope's Box?" Sam answered back, voice tinted with confusion. It'd come as a surprise when his brother phoned. They didn't really talk or hang out apart from family occasions. It shocked him further to hear Dean had actually tried to get his daughter a gift. "You don't mean, Pandora's Box, do you? That little woodwork store with the two brothers?"

Dean rolled his eyes at the way Sam sounded so excited over a freaking toy store. And not even good toys at that. "Yeah. So?"

"Dean, that place is amazing! I've heard so much about it. You have to get Jenny's gift from there," Sam insisted excitedly.

Dean sighed. Great. More time he had to waste in a place he hated. Fantastic. He grabbed a beer from the grocery bag and twisted the lid off, taking a large swig before answering Sam. "Alright but what the hell do I get? You should see this place. There's stuff everywhere! What am I supposed to pick?"

Sam tried to keep it together. Just reminding himself his brother was trying. That's all he could ask for. "She likes unicorns, Dean," he said in a tone that said it all. You should know this stuff, Dean. It's all she talks about if you spent two seconds actually listening to your niece.

"Unicorns," he repeated with a nod, grabbing a nearby pen and making a note on his Men's Health magazine. "Uh huh," Dean said, writing down what Sam told him. "Yup. Okay. Got it." He set down the pen and picked up his beer again, taking a swig.

"So, we'll see you next Saturday for Jenny's birthday party?" Sam asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah. No problem. Looking forward to it," he lied easily, making Sam sigh a little.

"She's eight, Dean," he reminded just in case. "All you gotta do is show up and she'll be happy."

"I knew that," Dean lied again, subtly making a note of her age too. "Yeah. Don't worry. I'll be there."

He hung up and set his phone on the side, leaning both his hands against the kitchen counter. Dean just wished next Saturday would never come.

* * *

It'd been a few days since the clueless man with the gorgeous green eyes had come into their store. Castiel couldn't stop thinking about him. It'd been a brief encounter. A simple conversation about their services and then the man had left. He doubted he'd ever come back. He just wished he'd gotten a chance to look at him a bit more. Maybe..even talk to him.

"Nows your chance, kiddo," Gabriel said, slapping Castiel subtly on the back, startling him from his thoughts.

"Huh…wha-" Castiel said incoherently, looking around with wide eyed.

Gabriel smirked, nodding his head towards Dean who'd just come in the store and was currently looking around at things. "He's back. You should talk to him," Gabriel encouraged.

Castiel looked where Gabriel was indicating and flushed red. "I-I can't," he whispered. "I-I've got to go back to work on that t-t-toy box," he said, turning to head back to his workshop only to be held back by Gabriel's hand on his chest.

"You can't. I promised Freya I'd take her outside to play with the new bubble maker. You've gotta stay here and watch the store," Gabriel said with a smug smirk before turning to Freya who was clutching the bubble maker box tightly in her arms. "Come on, honey. Let's go make bubbles."

"Bubbles!" Freya exclaimed happily, toddling along after Gabriel as they left the store. Leaving Castiel to stay behind the till, looking very flustered and nervous.

Dean spent a good ten minutes trying to find something that matched the description of Jenny's interests. But nothing seemed to fit. He didn't want to disappoint his mom or Sam again. He'd made it this far with his efforts. He might as well do it properly. Eventually, he decided to ask for help, only to find the attractive man he'd met a few days ago slumped against the counter.

"Long day?" he said with a charming smile, leaning slightly against the other side of the counter.

Castiel swallowed thickly, looking up to see the other staring down at him. He straightened a little and smiled weakly. "Something like that," he said quietly. He'd always been painfully shy around people he found attractive. He never knew what to say. He'd lost all his confidence ever since Valerie died.

"We'll if it's not too much bother. Would you mind helping me out again?" he asked with ease, pulling out the torn front page of Men's Health from his pocket and unfolded it before placing it on the counter. "I asked my brother and he told me what she's interested in."

Castiel, for a brief moment, was mortified when the front cover of Men's Health was placed on his counter. All he could see was the shirtless man and not the writing beside it. He wanted to laugh for thinking that's what the man was gesturing towards when he mentioned her interests.

He took a moment to look over the list and nodded, grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil and sketched out a few ideas. "My brother is the designer," he said as his excuse for terrible drawings. "But how about a mirror?" he suggested softly, not looking at the other whilst he continued to draw and gesture to the paper as he spoke.

"If she's interested in fashion, we could create a frame around the mirror shaped with unicorns and Adventure Time and cupcakes." He pointed to the square he'd drawn and explained. "See Lady Rainicorn can wrap around the mirror working as the main base of the frame. Her mane..could be made of velcro or shaped as a notice board so it becomes a practical use as well."

Dean had absolutely no idea what this man was saying but the way his eyes lit up as he spoke shyly about his work made Dean smile. "I don't know what a Rain-corn is but that sounds cool," Dean said with a nod and a small shrug.

"She's a character from Adventure Time," Castiel explained bashfully. "Sorry. Being a parent. I kinda forget not everyone is forced to watch that stuff." He let out a small nervous chuckle and it made Dean's smile grow. He wanted to see Castiel do that again. He had only met him twice but both times he'd seemed sad. And Dean couldn't help but wonder why.

"Oh," he said with a smile. "Well I'm sure your wife thinks you're awesome for putting up with that stuff, huh?" He hadn't meant anything by it. Just a little light banter but the way Castiel's eyes downcast into something darker took Dean by surprise.

"My wife is no longer with us," Castiel said softly, biting his lip anxiously.

Aw Crap. Dean swallowed thickly, scratching the back of his neck. "Gee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," Castiel assured. "It..happened a few years ago. I'm..I'm okay."

Dean wasn't so sure. The guy looked like this had only happened yesterday but it wasn't his business so he just nodded. "Um..so this mirror? I'm totally cool with it. Just you and your brother do what you thinks best and I'll pick it up when it's done"

Castiel took a moment to compose himself. Trying to get back to the task at hand. "Yes, of course. If that's what you want. We can e-mail the final designs to you just before we go ahead with the manufacturing."

Dean shrugged, "Yeah. Okay." Maybe then he could get the okay from Sam before hand just to make sure he was okay with the gift. He picked up the pen from the counter and wrote down his e-mail on his Men's Health magazine.

Castiel watched as the man wrote down his e-mail address. He should ask for his phone number. Ask him out. Ask his name. Something to get Gabriel and these stupid thoughts of 'what if' off his mind.

"D-D-Do you like beer?" Castiel asked lamely, turning red and internally groaning at just how stupid he could be at times.

"Huh?" Dean asked, looking up at the other once he set the pen down.

"I-I-I like beer. Maybe we should get one together sometime?" Castiel asked. He'd gotten this far. Might as well go through with it and make an ass of himself.

Oh. OH. Holy crap. Was he- was he really asking him out. Dean couldn't help but smile a bit. "Yeah. I like beer. I think that'd be a great idea."

Castiel sighed. "It's okay, I unders- wait. You…you do?" Castiel blinked in confusion, watching as Dean's smile brightened at his perplexed look.

"Yeah. I do." He picked up the pen again and wrote down his number and name alongside his e-mail address. "So, you should call me sometime. Could be fun." With that, Dean left. Leaving Castiel to stare at the torn magazine with a mixture of nerves, guilt and excitement.

"Oh hell, Val. What have I gotten myself in to?"


End file.
